Written Answers

Thursday 5 July 2001

Scottish Executive

Caledonian MacBrayne

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the fares charged by Caledonian MacBrayne are reviewed and who has the authority to decide that these fares should be increased or decreased.

Sarah Boyack: Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd is responsible for the level of individual fares within CFares, its general fare structure. It is required to seek approval by the Scottish ministers for proposed annual adjustments to average fares across its network. Under this requirement, the company was authorised to increase its average fares for 2001-02 by 2.5%, in line with our policy to protect fare levels on the company’s lifeline ferry services.

  Last year I asked the company to undertake a review of its present fare structure. It appointed independent consultants to carry this out and the review has recently been completed, following two rounds of consultation with interested parties.

Dyspraxia

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision exists to assess children with suspected dyspraxia and whether it is sufficient to meet current demand.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally. It is for health boards, consulting as necessary with education and social services departments, to make arrangements for the assessment of children with dyspraxia.

Dyspraxia

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many current school pupils have been diagnosed with dyspraxia.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Dyspraxia

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the existing provision for the diagnosis and treatment of dyspraxia.

Malcolm Chisholm: Strategies for the care of patients with a wide variety of conditions, including dyspraxia, are the responsibility of health boards, who are best suited to assess local needs. Ultimately, the decision on a diagnosis or whether to adopt a particular form of treatment is a matter for individual clinical judgement.

  Children with dyspraxia are usually treated by a combination of occupational therapy and physiotherapy. They may also benefit from educational support, and will therefore be among the children who will benefit from the Executive's £12 million inclusion programme announced on 11 May 2000.

Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15098 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001, when it will bring forward amending legislation to ensure that parents of children who are four years and six months and over when they start school are eligible to make a placing request.

Mr Jack McConnell: We are today issuing for consultation proposals to amend this legislation, and to amend appointment procedures under the current School Board legislation to provide for the successful and timely implementation of the agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century . The First Minister will announce the Executive’s future legislative proposals to the Parliament in the autumn.

Education

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to any difficulties created by indiscipline in rural schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Discipline Task Group, which recently published its report Better Behaviour - Better Learning , considered a wide range of difficulties created by indiscipline in schools in both urban and rural areas. Members of the task group did have experience of rural areas, and views were sought from teachers and pupils across the country. Evidence is that exclusions and absence rates are lower in rural schools. Nevertheless, the task group acknowledged that some issues raise particular concerns for rural schools. For example, behaviour on school transport can be a problem, as can exclusions where the choice of alternative school is limited.

Education

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the "out of class" facilities recommended for use by children with behavioural difficulties in the recent report by the Discipline Task Force are intended to operate in rural areas.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Discipline Task Group recommendation on flexible support provision applies across the country. It will be for individual local authorities to determine the provision they require to make to meet the needs of the children and young people in their areas.

Education

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase resources to rural local authorities in order to meet additional expenditure they may incur as a result of implementing the discipline policy recommended in the recent report of the Discipline Task Force.

Mr Jack McConnell: Some of the task group recommendations can be implemented within existing education budgets or through better targeting of the Excellence Fund, which is currently under review. The allocation of any additional resources provided will take into account local needs and circumstances.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has appointed an external auditor to report on the current situation with the education budget of Scottish Borders Council; if so, what the remit for the auditor is, when the auditor will report and to whom, whether the report will be made public, and whether the audit will be independent of the council’s own inquiry on this matter.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Accounts Commission for Scotland has the overall responsibility for issues concerning the accounts of local authorities in Scotland, including the responsibility for the appointment of auditors. The Controller of Audit may decide to make a report to the Accounts Commission on a particular matter arising out of or in connection with the accounts of any local authority, or the Accounts Commission may ask him to produce such reports as it requires. This is a matter for them.

  Any report made by the Controller of Audit to the Accounts Commission shall be copied to any local authority named in the report and to any other person as the Controller of Audit or the Accounts Commission think fit. The local authority would be obliged to pass copies of the report to each member of the authority and make additional copies available for public inspection.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Borders Council has complied with the requirement in paragraph 8 of Circular 5/2000, Pre-Budget Statement - Additional Financial Resources for Schools , and published locally information on what has been achieved through the allocation of its additional £416,000.

Mr Jack McConnell: The council have not published the necessary information by 29 June 2001, the date mentioned in Circular 5/2000 as the latest date by which information should be published. I expect that information to be made available as soon as possible.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties would be incurred by a local authority should they breach the conditions set out in Circular 5/2000, Pre-Budget Statement – Additional Financial Resources for Schools .

Mr Jack McConnell: The circular does not identify specific penalties.

Employment

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to attract more manufacturing jobs to Scotland in the renewable energy sector.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Working with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, we have recently secured a significant inward investment from the Danish wind turbine company Vestas in a new manufacturing facility near Campbeltown which will provide over 150 jobs in the area. In addition, along with Scottish Enterprise Energy Group based in Aberdeen, we actively encourage companies in Scotland to diversify into the manufacturing opportunities which are arising from such renewable energy developments. A series of Scottish Enterprise roadshows on the subject attracted interest from a variety of companies and, as a direct result, several of them are now pursuing opportunities for new business.

  Our promotion of these developments will be further strengthened by our Renewables Obligation (Scotland). One of its aims is to assist the renewables industry to become competitive and thus to provide more employment.

Flood Prevention

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16177 by Peter Peacock on 19 June 2001, whether the £27.5 million for flood prevention and coastal protection schemes allocated to local authorities under section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 is additional money to that which was to have been allocated to local authorities under section 94 before the £27.5 million was announced.

Peter Peacock: Since 1999-2000, £4 million has been earmarked each year within the total provision for local authority non-housing capital for these schemes. An additional £15.5 million was secured for the Spending Review period, bringing the total available for 2001-04 to £27.5 million.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to undertake a fully rigorous and public review of the events leading up to, the management of and the consequences arising from the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease this year, including the economic, social, human and animal suffering which has been experienced.

Ross Finnie: I accept in principle the need for a full and rigorous review of this major foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. As this was a GB/UK emergency, the nature and terms of any review will need to be considered by the Welsh Assembly, DEFRA and the Scottish Executive.

Hospitals

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was received by Inverclyde Royal Hospital in the past five years in donations from the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service and the League of Hospital Friends, how much of that total has been spent on hospital equipment and what equipment was purchased with these donations.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what circumstances led to the release from custody of Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong, who were charged with murder following a fatal fire in Irvine on 2 March 2001.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that full details of the circumstances which led to the release from custody of Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong, who were charged with murder following a fatal fire in Irvine on 2 March 2001, are made publicly available and that the victims and the public are kept fully informed of any developments with this case.

Colin Boyd QC: Proceedings against Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong remain active. It is therefore inappropriate to make public disclosure of any factors relevant to the liberation of the accused. The police remain in touch with the next-of-kin.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any precedents which were relevant to the release from custody of Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong, who were charged with murder following a fatal fire in Irvine on 2 March 2001.

Colin Boyd QC: The decision to liberate Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong was based on the circumstances of the case and not by reference to precedent.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether charges of murder remain in place against Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong in relation to a fatal fire in Irvine on 2 March 2001.

Colin Boyd QC: The accused Andrew Affleck and Gavin Armstrong appeared on petition charged with murder on 6 April 2001. Those proceedings remain active.

Justice

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what value of (a) Class A, (b) Class B and (c) Class C drugs was seized by each police force last year.

Iain Gray: 1999 is the latest year for which drug seizure figures are available. The values shown, which are based on average UK "street" prices for December 1999 reported to the National Crime Intelligence Unit, are only in relation to those Class A and B substances recorded systematically.

  


Police 
force


Value 
(£)
Class 
A Drugs1


Value 
(£)
Class 
B Drugs2


Value 
(£)
Class 
C Drugs3




Central 
Scotland Police


45,029


135,847


N/A




Dumfries 
& Galloway Constabulary


362,560


297,921


N/A




Fife Constabulary


101,204


220,432


N/A




Grampian 
Police


252,320


160,205


N/A




Lothian 
& Borders Police


470,595


358,193


N/A




Northern 
Constabulary


29,677


252,300


N/A




Strathclyde 
Police


15,086,959


2,836,499


N/A




Tayside 
Police


41,291


252,570


N/A




Total 
Value


16,389,635


4,513,967


N/A




  Notes:

  1. Cocaine, "crack", heroin, LSD, ecstasy-type and methadone.

  2. Cannabis (herbal and resin) and amphetamines.

  3. Information not available.

Learning Disabilities

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide educational opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive has committed £22.6 million to implement the recommendations of the Beattie Committee which examined the needs of young people who require additional support to make the transition to post-school education and training or employment. The National Action Group chaired by Alisdair Morrison, the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning is providing a national lead and focus for implementing this inclusiveness agenda in Scotland.

  In addition, we conducted a review of services for people with learning disabilities and published the findings in The same as you? in May 2000. The review considered ways to ensure that people with learning difficulties are included in community life, education, day opportunities, employment, and leisure and recreation. Change funds of £36 million over the first three years have been provided to local authorities to assist with implementing its recommendations.

  In the further education sector, colleges may already claim extra funding from the Scottish Further Education Funding Council to reflect the cost of providing additional support to students with disabilities and other special needs.

  These measures support the Executive’s commitment to create an inclusive society and will have a positive impact on the lives of people with learning difficulties wishing to overcome barriers to accessing educational opportunities.

Learning Disabilities

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide training opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

Ms Wendy Alexander: New Deal for Disabled People will be extended nationally from July 2001, providing assistance with job-search techniques, work preparation, pre-vocational or occupational training and work placements.

  People with learning disabilities are entitled to immediate entry to Training for Work, the Executive’s training programme for unemployed adults.

  New Futures Fund supports projects aimed at developing work skills while providing intensive support to unemployed people in Scotland who face serious disadvantage in looking for work. Projects currently help clients suffering from mental or physical disability.

  Support is available under the 2000-06 Objective 3 European Social Fund Programme in Scotland for measures to improve employment opportunities and to combat and prevent unemployment. Minimising the effects of social exclusion is one of the main priorities under the programme and people with learning disabilities are specifically targeted for support. Organisations such as the Scottish Association for Mental Health, the Centre for Independent Living and Scottish Enterprise Fife have already been awarded grants under the programme.

  The Executive’s review of services for people with learning disabilities, The same as you? was published on 11 May 2000. Change funds of £36 million over the first three years have been provided to local authorities to assist with implementing the review’s recommendations on including people with learning disabilities in community life, education, day opportunities, employment, and leisure and recreation. Answered on the 20 April 2000, question S1W-14328 and S1W-14602 provide details of the distribution of these additional funds.

Police

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the consultation paper on the police complaints system.

Mr Jim Wallace: I am publishing today a consultation paper that puts forward proposals for strengthening the independence of the police complaints system in Scotland. This fulfils the commitment we made in responding to Sir William Macpherson’s report on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. It will also provide a means for taking forward a number of the recommendations made by HMIC in its thematic report, A Fair Cop? on the handling of police complaints.

  The consultation period will run until 12 October this year.

Pre-School Education

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15837 by Nicol Stephen on 31 May 2001, how many of the pre-school places for (a) three-year–olds and (b) four-year-olds with partner providers in Glasgow are provided by (i) the private sector and (ii) the voluntary sector.

Nicol Stephen: 2,535 three- and four-year-olds were receiving publicly funded pre-school education from partner providers in the City of Glasgow in the summer term of 2000-01. The figures are as follows:

  


Type of 
Provider


3-Year-Olds


4-Year-Olds




Private


981


667




Voluntary


392


300




Independent


64


131




Total


1,437


1,098

Public Transport

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the City of Edinburgh Council’s decision on the future of the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport project will have for the way future public transport projects are procured and funded.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive operates the Public Transport Fund (PTF) to assist local authorities and Strathclyde Passenger Transport in providing value for money enhancements to public transport networks. Bids to the PTF for projects commencing in 2002-03 have to be submitted by 6 August 2001. Guidance about the submission of bids was issued in Development Department Circular No 3/2001. The Executive refines its guidance in the light of experience. As to the appropriate procurement routes for emerging projects, this is primarily a matter for the authorities but the Executive is always happy to discuss the possibilities with authorities.

Roads

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre copies of all correspondence since 1997 relating to actual or potential Essen Trans European Network projects in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: Under the Scottish Executive's Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information , information whose disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion including internal opinion, advice, recommendation, consultation and deliberation between departments is not released. We therefore have no plans to place this information in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Roads

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much European funding has been received in respect of the Glens improvement on the A75.

Sarah Boyack: Trans-European Network (TEN) funding of some £350,000 was received in 1997 as a contribution to the improvement of the A75 at the Glen. The project has since been completed and a further claim for the outstanding amount of 780,000 ECU is being finalised. No other TEN funding has been received for upgrading the A75.

Roads

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the A75 trunk route should maintain its position on the EU’s Essen Trans European Network priority list.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive believes that the A75’s inclusion in the Trans European Network as part of the Ireland-UK-Benelux priority route recognises the vital role that this road plays in the European road network. Our commitment in the Motorway and Trunk Road Programme 2001-04 to invest £22 million in the A75 confirms our position on this.

Rural Development

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15827 by Ross Finnie on 31 May 2001, whether expressions of interest in the Rural Stewardship Scheme will only be considered for the first year of the scheme if they were registered before 31 May 2001.

Ross Finnie: Yes. Expressions of interest received after 31 May 2001 will be considered for the second year of the scheme after closure of the application round on 31 March 2002.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of commissioning and publishing the research document Motivations to Public Service , produced by George Street Research Ltd on behalf of its Central Research Unit.

Peter Peacock: The cost of commissioning and publishing this research document was £19,660.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of commissioning and publishing the research document The What, Where and When of Being a Councillor , produced by the Scottish Local Government Unit on behalf of its Central Research Unit.

Peter Peacock: The cost of commissioning and publishing this research document was £7,250.

Sport

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many international-standard indoor running tracks there currently are in Scotland.

Allan Wilson: The Kelvin Hall in Glasgow stages indoor athletics events of international standard and is the only such facility in Scotland. As I said in my response to question S1O-03427,  sportscotland has ongoing dialogue with local authorities and the Scottish Athletics Federation about the provision of adequate national facilities for athletics.

Veterinary Surgeons

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a shortage of trained vets and, if so, whether it has any plans to increase funding for the training of vets.

Ross Finnie: No. Economic factors condition the number of veterinary surgeons required. Veterinary qualifications are recognised throughout the European Union and there are reciprocal arrangements for recognition of veterinary qualifications of other countries, most notably Australia and New Zealand which allows the free movement of suitably qualified persons.

  The control of foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland was not adversely affected by any shortage of veterinary surgeons. The State Veterinary Service operates on a Great Britain basis and was able to take on veterinary surgeons from private practice, research, other government departments as well as many veterinary surgeons from overseas.

  The funding of veterinary training is a reserved matter.

Water Industry

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance that the creation of a single water authority will not lead to the privatisation of the water industry.

Ross Finnie: Yes.